Getting in Touch with Your Worm
by Syvia
Summary: Um... no, this isn't about tequila. Remember that little worm that Sarah met at the beggining of the Labyrinth? He's got some explaining to do. *one-chapter ficcy*


Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff and I didn't exactly come up with the idea of the worm's hubby, since he comes right out and says he's got a wife during the movie, but I came up with what she looks like all on my own.

Authors Notes: An odd revelation about the little blue-haired worm came to me last semester in Myth & Folktale class. I thought I'd share it with you. This idea actually sprang from the countless times I'd watch 'Labyrinth' and say "Why didn't she just ask the worm _why_ she shouldn't go down the left path!" Please R&R. Enjoy!

Getting in Touch with your Worm

~Sometimes the biggest pearls of wisdom come from the smallest of Wise Men.~

Sarah looked up and down the corridor and let out a scream of frustration. What was wrong? She had done this before. Why couldn't she remember the solution to this puzzle? It was the _first_ one, for heaven's sake. If she couldn't do _this_, how would she get to the _center_ of the Labyrinth? 

She beat her fists against one side of the slime-splattered wall, turned and kicked the other side with another little scream. Since this was getting her nothing but throbbing limbs, Sarah moaned softly and slid down the wall. 

One of those peculiar little eyeball-plants regarded her curiously. She put a hand to her head, blinking back tears, and looked down the pathway.

"'Ello!" a tiny voice said. She jumped and turned to look behind her. Did those plant-things talk? She saw a tiny little worm with blue hair, wearing a red scarf.

"It's you!" she cried happily. "You're the one who helped me before!"

"Yeah," the worm responded genially. "What's the matter then? You forget how to go on?"

"Yeah... but I don't even know why I'm back... I mean.... I got through the Labyrinth eventually," she smiled, "with some help from friends... I saved my brother from the Goblin King, so what am I _doing _back here?"

"Heh, maybe you still have something to learn?" the worm suggested. "I hear tha's why people repeat the past, most of the time."

Sarah looked at him. "You could be right. But, I don't know what it could be."

"So..." the worm's eyes grew wide, "you came in to get your little brotha'?"

"The last time I did."

"But you're not in any real hurry this time?" The little worm started to move towards a tiny round door in the wall, still looking at her.

"I guess not."

The worm grinned. "Then you've got time to sit down with me and me missus and have a spot of tea! Just you follow me now," the worm said, inching towards the door. 

Sarah shifted until she was leaning forward on her knees. "Um... I'm sure your home is lovely, but I don't think I can fit."

The worm looked up at her. "Heh, you _are _a rather big one, aren't ya? Well, I'll just have to bring the missus out to _you_. Hold on a bit, a'right?"

Sarah watched as the worm butted his head against the door, which flipped inward, allowing him to enter. She waited, a bit impatiently even though she _did_ have time. The worm came back before long, followed by another, slightly smaller worm with pink hair, wearing a little yellow shawl. 

"Here now luv, wha's this all about?" the female worm asked, following her husband. Once out of the hole, she caught sight of Sarah. "Oddsbobkins!" she whispered in awe, looking up at the girl.

"Hi there," Sarah grinned at the worm. "Um, your husband helped me get through the Labyrinth the last time I was here."

"See luv?" the blue-haired worm said to his wife. "And you thought it was a lode of codswallow when I tol' ya'."

"A'right, I was wrong," the other worm responded softly. "Well little'un," she said to Sarah, "wha' can we do for you?"

Sarah grinned. _Look who's calling who little. _"Well... I still need to get through this Labyrinth."

"Well," said the blue-haired worm, "there's an opening just in front of us."

"What?" Sarah said wonderingly, turning around to look. Then the memory came rushing back. The wall was an optical illusion. As soon as she got into the opening, she would see passageways on either side of her, leading into the darkness. Sarah turned back to the worms with a smile. "Thank you both so much." She jumped up and rushed forward into the opening, then started down the left path.

"No, wait!" the blue-haired worm called out. She stopped and looked back out at them. 

"Oh yeah, it's the other way, isn't it?"

"Yeah," the worm grinned. But before Sarah could take the other path, the worm's wife spoke.

"'Ere now, where _exactly _are you trying to get to?" 

"Um..." Sarah thought for a minute, then she remembered. "Oh, the castle. I need to get to the castle in the center of the Labyrinth." 

The worms looked at her in amazement. "Well in tha' case, take the left road," the wife said.

"Why?"

"It's a shortcut, dearie!" the pink-haired worm told her. "You'll have about ten times the distance to cover if you go down the other way."

Sarah looked at them, her eyes widening as she had an awful revelation. "Do you mean that the first time I came here I went the _long_ way?! I fell into an oubliette, almost got torn up by the Cleaners, had to fight my way through the Firies, almost fell into the Bog of Eternal Stench, ate a drugged peach, and fought my way through the Goblin City, because I went the _long_ way?" 

"Nice work, luv," the female worm said sardonically to her husband.

The blue-haired worm gave them both an injured look, then looked sternly at Sarah. "You listen 'ere my girl," he said. "The first time you came through this place you were scared, you were alone, and you were sorely lacking in confidence."

"I-"

The worm cut Sarah off quickly, "You had attitude and you were determined, but you didn't have _real _confidence. And you couldn'a held your own with His Majesty like you must've if you got your little brotha' back."

"But I solved the riddles I came across and I made friends," Sarah realized slowly. 

The worm was nodding. "Yeah. And when you got to the castle, you knew you could beat the King, and you did."

Sarah looked down each path, then back at the worms. "Do I need to go the long way now?"

They smiled at her. "What do you think?" the blue-haired worm asked.

Sarah grinned. "Thanks again." They nodded happily in response. Sarah turned and looked into the darkness of the left pathway, took a deep breath, and smiled as she walked into the unknown.


End file.
